Ore concentration



F. (mom- ORE CONCENTRATION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3,1916.

1,41 8,728. Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEETW.

III ||||l I] M h m 1 F. GROCH.

ORE CONCENTRATION. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1916.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

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Iran): was? 3513 This affs F. GROGH.

ORE CONCENTRATION: APPLICATION FILED JULQY 3.191s.

I Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

4 'SHLETS-SHEET 3.

gnuen foz FRANK GROCH, OF COBALT, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ORE CONCENTRATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

. Application filed July 3, 1916. Serial No. 107,434.

' To all whom. it may concern:

from the gangue by the selective action of a froth vor foam producingagent, such as oil, which carries the metallic particles to the surface of a bath while the particles of gangue are allowed to settle. By thus separating the valuesfrom the gangue the two products may be separately removed and further treated.

The object of my invention is to provide improved apparatus for practicingamethod of concentration of the kind referred to.

In such processes it is important thatthe metalliferous particles should be detached or separated from the particles of gangue as thoroughly as possible. in order that the buoyant oil or other froth producing substance and the upward currents of air may cause them to rise while the gangue is set-- tling and it is also important that, where possible, the process of separation should be" continuous in a single apparatus and should reduce to a minimum the metallic content of the tailings.

According to my invention I providean apparatus wherein a pulp containing the material to be separated is thoroughly aerated vand wherein the bath is so agitated that substantially all the metallic particles are caused to rise to the surface of the bath while the particles of gangue are allowed to settle. The apparatus is so constructed that the foam or froth containing the values is continuously removed while the settled gangue is also continuously withdrawn and contains a minimum quantity of vahies. The

the pulp.

In one form of the apparatus a serles of agitation compartments is provided which communicate with a series of settling compartments and below each agitation compartment there is a chamber towhich thepulp is delivered before passing upwards to the agltation compartment. Each agitation compartment contains means for distributing air w1th1n it and it also contains a distrlbuter for the pulp which is closely associated with the air distributer. The agitated pulppasses from each agitation compartment to a settling compartment and a communlcation is provided between the lower part of each settling compartment and a chamber below the next succeeding agitation compartment whereby the settled material may pass successively through the agitation and settling compartmentsof the apparatus. At the delivery end of the apparatus a chamber is provided to receive the tailings and this chamber may be equipped with a float valve for regulating the discharge. The-details of construction of this form of the apparatus will be hereinafter more fully described. i

Inoanoth'er form of the apparatus some of the settled gangue is taken from each settling compartment and returnedto the same agitation compartment from which it came, the gangue from each agitation compartment which does not pass to the settling compartment being conveyed through a port to a chamber below the next agitation compartment from which it passes to a settling compartment. Otherfeatures of this form of the apparatus will be described later on.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation and partly in section showing one form of apparatus constructed in accordance wlth my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a transverse section thereof' on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away in order to better illustrate other parts.

Fig. 4 shows in vertical section the com bined agitator and air and pulp distributers.

Fig. 5 is aplan view of the combined agitator and distributors with the air supply tube in section.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of theapparatus.

Fig. 7 shows a transverse section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

The vessel A' is divided intoa series of agitation compartments and a series of settlin and 2 the vessel has a flat horizontal bottom compartments. [As shown in Figs. 1

a with sides 0a which inclineupwardly and outwardly and on each side of the vessel there is an overflow launder (1? provided witha discharge pipe a The ends of the vessel are closed by end-pieces-w" and a. as shown. Upright longitudinal partitions a divide the vessel into three sections, the middle section being subdivided by transverse partitions a into agitation compartments B,'B B B The two outer sections are divided by transverse partitions 6 into a series of settling compartments C, C C G I preferably employ two sets of settling compartments as tributer 7 which communicates with the tube and which is arranged above a pulp distributer f The tubes and the distributers arerotated by gearing 'g operated by a power shaft G.

Various forms of distributers and agi tators maybe employed, but in Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown the preferred construction. As there illustrated two circular plates or discs lain carry between them blades 71. disposed as shown in Fig. 5, andthe construction is such that as the distributers are rotated air will be discharged by centrifugal force from p the periphery of the distributer. The tubes f areall open, air enters at their upper ends and passes down to the air distributers f and is thrown centrifugally out ards into the agitation compartments. he pulp distributers f are formed in a similar Way,- blades it being mounted between the plates h and h These blades may be disposed in various ways, but the construction should be such that the pulp which enters the center of the distributer shall be. thrown outwards by centrifugal force. Preferably the upper disc 71. is perforated as shown so that air will not only pass outward from the periphery of the distributer'but will also pass upwardly therefrom and thus increase the distribution'of the air for agitation and flotation purposes.

Thejdistribut'ers of course operate to draw air and pulp-to their centersas well as to discharge a1r and pulp from their periph eries.

The pulp is mixed with oil or other -frothproducing agent preferably before it is fed to an; apparatus but it may be supplied in any suitable way.

The pulp may be fed to the tube f of the A release first agitatorthrough a supply conveyer m I as indicated in Fig. 1. When the pulp is thus supplied it enters with the a1r and becomes, to some degree, mixed therewith before it passes out from the agitator or distributor F.

ulp may also be delivered through a supply pipe H which enters the first chamber E m tributer in said agitation compartment. The

capacity of each of said tubes may be regulated by an adjustable bolt J inan obvious manner. .Each agitation compartment communicates with a corresponding settlingcompartment on each side of it through openings y disposed between slats or baffles 3 As the pulp rises in the agitation compartments it passes through the openings between the slats and theseslats or baflles serve to retard the upward air currents so thatwhen the pulp passes to the settling chambers quiet settling,

may be more efiiciently accomplished. Each settling compartment or each pair of settling compartments communicates with a chamber below the next agitation compartment in the serles as lndicated at 0 in Figs. 1,2 and 3 of the drawings. The last chamber E of the series communicates by means of an opening c with a chamberlL for the tailings or gangue after the metallic values have been separated.

This chamber L is provided with a discharge opening 6 provided with a valve 6 controlledby a float e in well known ways.

If it be necessary to maintain an even fluid level in all the settling com artments,

it can beaccomplished by provi ing open ings or communications between said compartments controlled by slides or valves N,

' As before stated, the pulp-,may be fed to]: l the first tube f by means of a supply pipe m,-

or it may be fed to the first chamber E loy .a pipeH. In fact pulp may be supplied simultaneously to the first agitation coma F partment from both of these sources. The

several agitators and distributers are rotated simultaneously and continuously. In the first compartment the pulp is distributed and thoroughly mixed with the air thrown out by the agitator. "The agitated pulp passes through the openings y into the settling chambers C. Thefroth with the me-- x tallic values passes "over intothe launders a whlle the settled material passes'through the opening 0 to the. chamber E below the second agitation compartment B In this compartment the settled pulpfrom the first compartment, deprived of some of its values,

is thoroughly agitated and aerated and passes to thesettllng compartments on each side of it,- the froth rising and overflowing into the launders a and the settled material passing through the openings 0 to the'chamcompartment.

By this apparatus a thorough commingling of the pulp with the air is accomplished in all of the compartments. Much of the metallic values is removed from the pulp in the first compartment and as the material passes through the several compartments the remaining metallic values are gradually separated so that the gangue which reaches the chamber L is practically free-from all materials of value which it is desired to recover.

In Figs. 6 to 9 of the drawings I have shown some 'modifications. Much of, the apparatus is similar to that before described and the parts are similarly lettered. In this case, however,the bottom a of the vessel is preferably inclined. The agitators and distributers are of the same construction as those previously described but in this casev the tubes I are shown as being rigidly connected with the distributers and rotating with them. Instead of employing a continuous partition D, as shown in Fig. 1, a series of false bottoms o are used and the tubes I extend through said false bottoms and are free to rotate therein. The settling compartments are similar to those before described and communicate with the the next agitation compartment through an,

opening 1" and it is through these openings that the settled material passes through the apparatus to the discharge chamber L. The pulp may be fed to the tube f of the first agi tator and it may be also fed to the first agitation compartment by a pipe H which communicates with the chamber E'in the mannerindicated. The agitated pulp passes from the first agitation compartment .B', to thesettling compartments on each side of it and is returned in the manner before described.

Settled materialin the first compartment B passes through the port or opening 'r' to the chamber E below the second agltation compartment and in like manner the material passes from an agitation compartment to a settling compartment throughout the series and from the several agitation compartments to chambers below the succeeding agitation compartments and so on untilthe gangue or tailings finally reaches the chamber L from which it is discharged, while the froth containing values is received by the troughs or launders a and conveyed away for further treatment.

It will, of course, be understood that any desired number of compartments may be employed for agitation, settling, etc. The specific number shown is not essential. The apparatus is self contained requiring no auxiliary apparatus to supply air under pressure, the rotary agitators serving to induce or draw in air which is forcibly discharged into the agitationcompartments where it mingles thoroughly with pulp which is induced and distributed by the rotary pulp distributers associated with the rotary air distributers.

While I prefer to employ the chambers E, etc. below the agitation compartments it is obvious that such chambers constitute part of the means for conveying the settled pulp from a settling compartment to the next agitation compartment in the series and that a more direct connection might be employed.

In case the pulp is fed to the first agitation compartment by way of the tube 7 only, as indicated at ac in Fig. 1, it will not be necessary to provide a pul the first compartment as t e pulp is distributed by the same apparatus which distributes the air.

distributer in l In my application for patent filed July phere above the liquid which the tank is adapted to contain and another set of.similar passages having both ends in communication'with the liquid in the tank. Said application also shows a rotary head having a set of passages for gas or air extending outwardly from the center towards the periphery of the head and a set of liquid passages also extending towards the perlphefi'y,

all said passages being open at both en The rotary head consists of an impeller somewhat similar to that herein shown and described having axial inlet ports in its opposite walls and a discharge opening, a par-.

' ,tition within the impeller in spaced relation to the opposite walls thereof and impeller blades on opposite sides of the partition. I

do not herein claim such subject matter, it 1 being claimed in my application for patent above mentioned which is a division of the present application.

Iclaim as my invention:

ll An apparatus for concentrating ores, comprising an agitation compartment, a settling compartment laterally disposed relatively to the agitation compartment and having an opening into said agitation compartment, avertical series of horizontally dis posed slats arranged across said opening-for directing the rising air currents in the agi 'tation compartment into the settling compartment, and means in the agitation compartment for distributing air and pulp therein.

2. An apparatus for concentrating ores, comprising, a series of agitation compartments each provided with means for distributing pulp and air therein, a series of set-,

tling compartments communicating with the agitation compartments, a pulp-receiving chamber below each agitation compartment, 3Q:

meansfor conveying settling material from the lower portion of one settling compartment to the chamber below the next agitation compartment in the series, and -means', for separately removing the floating and settling material.

3. An apparatus for concentrating ores, comprlsmg a series of agitation compartments, a series of chambers below sa d compartments, a series of settling compartments having communication with the agitation compartments to receive the agitated pulp therefrom, means in each agitation compartemma 'ment for distributing air and pulp therein,

and means for conveying settling material from each settling compartment to the chamber below the next agitation compartment in the series, and a communication between each oi said chambers and the agitation I passes through the agitator before entering the agitating compartment.

5. lln flotation apparatus an agitating compartmentand a separating compartment,'the

agitating compartment having an overflow into the separating compartment, the bottom of the agitating compartment having an aperture therein, the bottom portion of the separating compartment being in communication with said aperture, and a hollow agitator in the agitating compartment having a hollow extension fitting into said aperture and communicating with the interior of the agitator, whereby the interior of the agitator is in communication with the bottom portion of the separating compartment, and the pulp must pass through. said extension and agitator before entering the agitating compartment.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto,

subscribed my name.

FRANK-GROCH. 

